Originally hosted on https://illoria.wixsite.com/annamittower/anthology-of-speculative-scribbles

Rivets and Gravity

Not your typical bar experience!

Now offering over 100 exotic brews from all over the galaxy.

A man in coveralls decorated with smears of green grease paused to view the neon sign blinking its message for passersby. Jeron, attracted by the word ‘exotic’, moved closer to the window glass to peer at the neon sign. In fine print, the brews were listed on the menu according to maker: Auritan, Ladea, Quantra, Trinz… Wait. Trinz? Their brews were rare and illegal in this system. His eyes found the name once again. Only one brew was printed beside it. Firelily. The strongest brew in existence. Highly dangerous and banned in most of the galaxy, one glass could send you to heaven. Jeron swallowed, his mouth watering in remembrance of his first and only glass of Firelily, snagged while he happened to be in a district where the authorities looked the other way.

Jeron stepped back from the window and considered the bar within. He was off work so even though it was the middle of the afternoon, he could risk a drink before going home. Then, decided, he pushed the door inward. The old smell of wood and alcohol surrounded and welcomed him into the bar. When he stepped inside, the door closed behind him with a loud click instead of the normal quiet hiss. This struck him as odd, but he was too distracted by the thought of the drink he would soon enjoy to pay it much attention.

A couple sat at a table in the far corner holding hands and chatting over drinks, seemingly completely absorbed in each other, but the bar was otherwise empty of customers. That didn’t bother him, however. Underground bars with illegal brews generally didn’t attract a lot of patrons during the day. The gleaming curve of the bar attracted his gaze and he found himself drawn to it as his eyes appreciated the highly polished old stone countertop and the actual wooden base. Jeron highly approved of the old world aesthetic. Synthetics and their perfection bored him. He caressed the edge of the counter surreptitiously as he took a seat on one of the leather wrapped cushioned bar stools.

“What can I get you, sir?” The bartender appeared silently from the back with professional ease.

“One glass-” Jeron’s voice broke. He swallowed and tried again. “One glass...of Firelily.”

The bartender considered him while preparing a glass. He set the glass down on the counter with a sharp clink. “That, sir, is an expensive drink. May I see your card to verify your available funds?”

Jeron handed over his card. “I don’t care how expensive it is. I want one glass.”

The bartender took his card with a slight smile of pity. “Once you’ve tasted Firefly you can never forget it,” he murmured. “The taste will haunt you for the rest of your life.”

Too caught up in anticipation, Jeron missed what he said. “Did you say something?”

“No, sir.” With a few taps on his device, he ran the card. A soft beep signaled enough funds were in the account. “Your card, sir.”

Jeron took it and tucked it back into his wallet, his eyes fixed on the empty glass waiting to be filled.

The bartender pulled out a medium sized brown glass bottle. The bottle was completely unremarkable except for the cream colored paper label stamped with “Firelily” in gilded red characters. He placed a square of ice into his mixing cup and then poured the orange red contents of the bottle over the ice. Just the scent of the drink was enough to start Jeron salivating.

After capping the cup, the bartender shook it rhythmically, captivating his customer completely with his artful dance. Once he finished shaking the mixing cup, he poured the drink and ice into the waiting glass. A three-inch layer of foam now covered the top of the drink. As the liquid settled, the darker red gathered at the bottom creating a sunset in the glass. To top it all off, the bartender placed a miniature white lily on top of the foam.

“Your drink, sir.” He set it down in front of Jeron and turned away to clean up.

Jeron grabbed for the glass with both of his hands and brought it eagerly to his lips. Taking a deep sniff, he felt the spicy smell spread through him, relaxing every fiber of his being and. He buried his face into the foam for his first sip and happiness soon followed. A beard of white froth covered his chin after he came up for air. But then he dived into his drink again. This time he couldn’t stop after only a sip. It was only when he came to the bottom of his glass that he set it down. Jeron used his finger to wipe the froth on his face and licked it off his finger, relishing the drink down to its last drop.

“That was good!” His mouth stretched into a relaxed, vague smile as he remained lost in the memory of that taste which sent explosions of happiness and comfort through his whole body. His eyes drooped close as he sank further into a blissful dreamland. With a thud his head dropped onto the bar.

The bartender set aside the last of his cleaned tools and gestured to the couple sitting at the corner table. “I’m sorry, sir. Firelily is a banned substance.”

The couple stood up and approached the counter. The woman produced restraints and snapped them around the unresisting Jeron’s wrists.

“Therefore, sir, you are under arrest. My condolences. The first taste is addictive, but the second is far worse.” The bartender bowed slightly as the couple lifted Jeron off the stool. He began polishing the counter as the two dragged Jeron out the bar’s back door and into the waiting police vehicle.

A new pair replaced the original two and sat at another table with new drinks. Once the bar was reset and restored to calm, the bartender pressed a button under the counter and the door’s lock clicked open, ready for the next customer.

END

Author's Note:

What is it with dark stories? Two in a row! However, I promise there will be a change of pace next month. How did you enjoy the twist of this story? Did you see it coming?

Comments, questions and feedback are welcome in the comments below!

As always, you can find more about me and my writing at https://illoria.wixsite.com/annamittower and https://annamittower.blogspot.com/.

My novels are also available to read on Wattpad and Webnovel as well as on my website. Paid novels will only be available through Patreon. I will keep a selection of both free and paid novels releasing, however, so don't worry about having no new free content to read! If you like my work, however, please consider becoming a patron to encourage my effort (and you get a few bonuses outside of paid content access).

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/annamittower?

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/AnnaMittower

Webnovel: https://www.webnovel.com/profile/4301076183

If you want to discuss my works with other readers, head on over to my discord server. https://discord.gg/mK3GENd